Our first aim is to understand the chemistry of activation of mitomycin C, a clinically used antitumor agent, first in a chemical, then in a biochemical system. The second aim is to determine the structure of model covalent adducts formed between mitomycin C and oligonucleotides. Knowledge of the properties of such adducts is expected to facilitate isolation of same or similar substances from nucleic acid-mitomycin C complexes. As our third aim, such isolations will be undertaken from complexes formed in vitro as well as in vivo. The methods planned for use are mostly analytical-biochemical, including advanced separation and spectroscopic techniques. Plans and arrangements were also made for in vivo type experiments. The significance of the project is that it is expected to lead to the elucidation of the chemical bonds involved in the observed covalent modification of nucleic acids by mitomycin C.